June 1st, 2022
How many of you have read the book of Hosea? It’s one of the smaller, lesser-known books in the Old Testament, but Hosea had an interesting story. He was commanded by God to take a “wife of whoredom,” to illustrate to the people of Israel what God did when He made covenant with them. While it’s not a large book, it is a powerful story woven into the main theme of the Scripture, which is God’s love, and that is what I want to talk to you about this week!
Often as believers, I think we forget how radical the love of Jesus is. I’ve heard my pastor say that it’s “scandalous how much God loves us”—and it’s true. When we accept the sacrifice of the blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins, we are receiving the most undeserved gift we ever have or ever will. We deserved hell, and He has given us life, hope, love, and every promise of His word in the blood of Jesus. Romans 5:6-10 says it like this,
“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die, but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”
Jesus didn’t die for us when we looked clean and whole. He didn’t die for His bride when she was spotless and full of love for Him. He died, willingly, while those He loved tore out His beard, spit in His face, and nailed Him to a cross. He was wronged by the government, the religious community, and the public more than anyone ever has been, yet He didn’t get angry or indignant. He submitted to the love of His Father and for the “joy set before Him”—us— chose to lay down His life. No matter how long we walk with God, we will never understand the depths of that love!
Almost 1,000 years before Jesus died on that cross though, Hosea the prophet’s life was a demonstration of the love of God to the people of Israel. Even though Jesus had not come yet, the theme of God’s radical love for humanity is from Genesis to Revelation! As I mentioned above, Hosea was given a very interesting mandate in life. In Hosea 1:2, God told Hosea to take a wife of “whoredom”—a harlot—because the land had committed great harlotry in departing from the LORD. Hosea married a woman named Gomer and they had three children. God commanded their names be symbolic, with the last child’s name being the most devastating. Hosea 1:8 says,
‘When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. And the LORD said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.”’
The last child was called “not my people” because the people of Israel had so departed from God. After living as his wife and bearing three children, Gomer left Hosea and went back to her former lovers, just as Israel had been unfaithful to God. After a time, God commanded Hosea to go and redeem her back, saying
‘“Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.” So, I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley.’
That is scandalous love. Gomer didn’t come home. She didn’t ask to be bought back. While she was still in the depths of her filth and unfaithfulness, Hosea found her, redeemed her, and brought her home. What a heartbreakingly beautiful picture of God’s love for humanity! Just as Jesus died for us to redeem us when we were yet in filth, Hosea redeemed his wife, and commanded her to go after no other lovers. There are several very powerful prophecies in Hosea about what God would do for His people, foreshadowing the coming of Jesus, and I want to share just a couple.
Hosea 3: 5 says, “Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the LORD and to his goodness in the latter days.”
Hosea 11:8-10 says,
“How can I give you up, O Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, O Israel?
…My heart recoils within me;
my compassion grows warm and tender.
I will not execute my burning anger;
I will not again destroy Ephraim;
for I am God and not a man,
the Holy One in your midst,
and I will not come in wrath.
They shall go after the LORD;
he will roar like a lion; when he roars,
his children shall come trembling from the west;
they shall come trembling like birds from Egypt,
and like doves from the land of Assyria,
and I will return them to their homes, declares the LORD.”
This is a promise to the people of Israel and also a picture of God’s love for the church. His mercy is absolutely beyond our understanding. Just like the Israel of Hosea’s time, we were once not God’s people, but by the sacrifice of Jesus, we have been reconciled to Him, in love—to be a pure and spotless bride, with eyes only for Him. Romans 9:24-25 reminds us,
‘As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved. And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called sons of the living God.’”
God’s redemption of His people, His radical scandalous love for Israel, for humanity, and for you, is the theme of the whole Bible. All we have to do is accept the sacrifice of Jesus according to His word, repent of our sin, and come into relationship with Him. God doesn’t expect perfection when we come to Him. Jesus came for the broken, sinful, and filthy. However, once we are redeemed, He cleanses us by the power of His Word and His Spirit and we have to live as a bride, in covenant with Him. His love is scandalous, radical, and full of promises that we will spend our whole lives walking in, if we live in constant communion with Him. It’s the theme of the Bible. It’s the story of the cross. It’s the passion of His heart. He thought of you when He laid down His life and there is absolutely nothing that will ever compare to the love of our Savior!
Often as believers, I think we forget how radical the love of Jesus is. I’ve heard my pastor say that it’s “scandalous how much God loves us”—and it’s true. When we accept the sacrifice of the blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins, we are receiving the most undeserved gift we ever have or ever will. We deserved hell, and He has given us life, hope, love, and every promise of His word in the blood of Jesus. Romans 5:6-10 says it like this,
“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die, but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”
Jesus didn’t die for us when we looked clean and whole. He didn’t die for His bride when she was spotless and full of love for Him. He died, willingly, while those He loved tore out His beard, spit in His face, and nailed Him to a cross. He was wronged by the government, the religious community, and the public more than anyone ever has been, yet He didn’t get angry or indignant. He submitted to the love of His Father and for the “joy set before Him”—us— chose to lay down His life. No matter how long we walk with God, we will never understand the depths of that love!
Almost 1,000 years before Jesus died on that cross though, Hosea the prophet’s life was a demonstration of the love of God to the people of Israel. Even though Jesus had not come yet, the theme of God’s radical love for humanity is from Genesis to Revelation! As I mentioned above, Hosea was given a very interesting mandate in life. In Hosea 1:2, God told Hosea to take a wife of “whoredom”—a harlot—because the land had committed great harlotry in departing from the LORD. Hosea married a woman named Gomer and they had three children. God commanded their names be symbolic, with the last child’s name being the most devastating. Hosea 1:8 says,
‘When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. And the LORD said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.”’
The last child was called “not my people” because the people of Israel had so departed from God. After living as his wife and bearing three children, Gomer left Hosea and went back to her former lovers, just as Israel had been unfaithful to God. After a time, God commanded Hosea to go and redeem her back, saying
‘“Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.” So, I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley.’
That is scandalous love. Gomer didn’t come home. She didn’t ask to be bought back. While she was still in the depths of her filth and unfaithfulness, Hosea found her, redeemed her, and brought her home. What a heartbreakingly beautiful picture of God’s love for humanity! Just as Jesus died for us to redeem us when we were yet in filth, Hosea redeemed his wife, and commanded her to go after no other lovers. There are several very powerful prophecies in Hosea about what God would do for His people, foreshadowing the coming of Jesus, and I want to share just a couple.
Hosea 3: 5 says, “Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the LORD and to his goodness in the latter days.”
Hosea 11:8-10 says,
“How can I give you up, O Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, O Israel?
…My heart recoils within me;
my compassion grows warm and tender.
I will not execute my burning anger;
I will not again destroy Ephraim;
for I am God and not a man,
the Holy One in your midst,
and I will not come in wrath.
They shall go after the LORD;
he will roar like a lion; when he roars,
his children shall come trembling from the west;
they shall come trembling like birds from Egypt,
and like doves from the land of Assyria,
and I will return them to their homes, declares the LORD.”
This is a promise to the people of Israel and also a picture of God’s love for the church. His mercy is absolutely beyond our understanding. Just like the Israel of Hosea’s time, we were once not God’s people, but by the sacrifice of Jesus, we have been reconciled to Him, in love—to be a pure and spotless bride, with eyes only for Him. Romans 9:24-25 reminds us,
‘As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved. And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called sons of the living God.’”
God’s redemption of His people, His radical scandalous love for Israel, for humanity, and for you, is the theme of the whole Bible. All we have to do is accept the sacrifice of Jesus according to His word, repent of our sin, and come into relationship with Him. God doesn’t expect perfection when we come to Him. Jesus came for the broken, sinful, and filthy. However, once we are redeemed, He cleanses us by the power of His Word and His Spirit and we have to live as a bride, in covenant with Him. His love is scandalous, radical, and full of promises that we will spend our whole lives walking in, if we live in constant communion with Him. It’s the theme of the Bible. It’s the story of the cross. It’s the passion of His heart. He thought of you when He laid down His life and there is absolutely nothing that will ever compare to the love of our Savior!
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